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Microsoft Surface: First Impressions and Shattered Misconceptions

Today I had a singular mission: Peer beyond the marketing hype and repress the impulse to buy a Surface, Microsoft’s first direct foray into the PC hardware market (excluding their lineup of PC accessories). My plan? Stroll into the company’s pop-up Surface store at the Fashion Show Mall in Las Vegas, rest my hands on the “Touch Cover” and have any trace of desire for Microsoft’s hybrid hardware squashed after inevitably producing gibberish on the screen.

That Touch Cover would be the only dealbreaker in this hypothetical transaction. I knew the build quality was spectacular, and was more than satisfied with the tech specs and overall value proposition the Surface offered (Microsoft includes Office 2013 Home & Student Edition for free, expandable storage, USB and HDMI ports).

Upon arriving, the Microsoft assistant swished the Start screen over to Word 2013 Preview and confidently said “give it a shot.”

Immediately I drafted three sentences with only a single typo, and without any previous hands-on experience. I was gobsmacked.

Significantly less pressure was required than with my beloved mechanical keyboard, and though it felt odd, it also felt effortless. My inner technophile – and critic – expected to walk away smugly wagging a finger in Redmond’s direction as if to say “I knew it was just a gimmick. I knew typing proficiently on a thin keyboard lacking any travel or tactile feedback would be impossible.”

Yet here we are; I’m typing this article on my new 32GB Surface with Xbox Music snapped to the right of its 10.9” screen, $599 and sales tax gone from my bank account because I couldn’t disprove the brilliance that is the Touch Cover.

(It’s worth noting that the Microsoft assistant also allowed me to hang the Surface by its attached Touch Cover and shake it vigorously. He showed no fear when I asked, though casual passers-by certainly reacted with surprise. Needless to say, the Surface stayed rigidly attached to its Touch Cover keyboard.)

The usefulness of having two apps working side by side cannot be overstated.

My initial few hours with Surface were uncomfortable, but not in a physical sense. This was my first experience with a touch-based Windows 8, and it was drastically different than using Apple‘s iOS or any flavor of Google‘s Android. It was unknown and unfamiliar, which may dissuade consumers from an impulse buy — making Microsoft’s aggressive “pop-up store” strategy that much more crucial (and in my case, effective).

The quick-start guide inside the Surface packaging encourages users to “get to know the language of touch.” It may indeed feel that way for Windows veterans. Charms, Snap, Swipe In, and other Windows 8 gestures haven’t been programmed into my muscle memory for decades. But when I learned how these gestures brought unification to every application (the Settings charm is invoked by swiping in from the right and is used contextually for every piece of software), my appreciation for this new language began to blossom.

From reading a dozen Surface reviews, I knew installing traditional Windows software was out of the question. Instead, Windows RT relies solely on Microsoft’s own app store. Immediately I went looking for the staples I couldn’t live without: Tweetdeck, Facebook, Spotify, and Skype. Skype was the only app I found (it’s a beautiful version, by the way). I’d later discover that Facebook was tucked away alongside Twitter inside the pre-installed “People” app. In lieu of Spotify, however, was Xbox Music, a new service which blends features from Spotify, iTunes, and Pandora with well-realized results.

With touch, the Windows 8 Start Screen becomes infinitely more useful

There may or may not be workarounds or third-party alternatives for your favorite apps (I need FlipBoard soon!) in the Windows Store, but let’s remember how relatively barren Apple’s App Store was when it launched in 2008. Every PC manufacturer that matters is building or has already released some very compelling hardware built around Windows 8 and its touch-driven interface, so we should expect Microsoft’s software offerings to get beefed up in less than six months.

Here’s what I’m building up to: In the days to come, I’ll review the Surface as a technology writer who paid a substantial amount of personal cash for the device, not as someone sent a review bundle from Microsoft PR.

Consider that I’m under no obligation from Forbes nor Microsoft to do this. The driving factor is one of exploration and fascination. I want to foster a dialogue about this disruptive device and shake some misconceptions. I also pledge to praise it for its achievements, honestly highlight any shortcomings, and try to discover exactly who the Surface is aimed at.

There’s another perspective to be aware of throughout this series of articles: I’ve ditched two high-end Android tablets in favor of an iPad 3. Does Microsoft’s Surface have a remote chance to replace it as both an entertainment consumption device and a tool for everyday productivity?

Stick around, I’ll let you know as soon as I do. In the meantime, what do you want to know about Surface? Post your curiosities in the comment section below.

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Comments

Only the pro supports the pen with pressure sensitivity. However the Rt (which I am writing this comment from right now) has a keyboard setting for writing letters with your finger or a generic tablet pen that resembles an old school pda form of writing. It also has a keyboard on screen if you don’t have the keyboard cover. Hope that helps!

Even though the pro version isn’t out yet, there are possibilities that third party companies will create a digital pen for RT tablets (not Manufactured by Microsoft), also you could always try a generic tablet pen.

Jun, it looks like your primary question was answered — great community unfolding here! I’m going to dig around and see what other options you have for accurate digital inking (A Dell XPS 12 is coming in today, which may support it). As for the other reviews, I don’t believe they’re biased, but perhaps they’re rushing into criticism without allowing the drastic changes Windows RT presents to sink in.

I think you are spot on to want the pen for taking notes, drawings. Surface Pro will do that, but it is rather more expensive, and the battery life may be an issue for you.

I got a Samsung Ativ 500. It has an Atom chip, so battery life is good, and it also runs all the Windows software. In particular, OneNote is absolutely what you’re looking for. But be careful – the Metro version is slow, get the “standard” windows version.

Jason, It was great to read your article and I look forward to reading more in the coming days, good or bad. It is nice to see somebody writing from this angle. Too many times people have made up their mind prior to even laying their hands on the new surface or only after a few minutes with it. I typically do not sign up for sites in order to post comments but your article and thought process provoked me to in fact do just that.

I have been on the sideline thus far in this whole tablet market but can see me buying one or more shortly. In reading different reviews out there, I am amazed that having two things open at the same time as a selling point. Let me clarify my last statement – I assumed that this was a given and nobody would embrace a device that did not allow for such a herculean feat. Is this truly the case with Apple and Android tablets?

Finally, I read over and over again about the lack of apps for this new device. I just get tired of this as we are talking about a new device and OS. There seems to be a lot baked-in already with surface in terms of apps/office and I expect many more to come. I guess I am looking at this from a first-time buyer of a tablet. In that I do know what I need in terms of apps until I need it. To some degree, I would expect the W8 system to grow and align with my needs. Too many writers out there are not looking at this from a first-time buyer.